Packing box

ABSTRACT

A cover portion and a front portion have a first cut portion on a surface side of the cover portion and a second cut portion on a surface side of the front portion within a range in which a sealing tape having an adhesive surface is to be put across the cover portion and the front portion in a state in which an upper end opening is closed with the cover portion and an inserting piece is inserted along the inside of the front portion. The first cut portion and the second cut portion have at least two first cuts which are formed in a peeling direction for the sealing tape and at least one second cut which is formed in such a direction as to intersect with the peeling direction and which is in contact with or intersects with the first cuts.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-068721 filed on Mar. 24, 2010.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a packing box.

2. Related Art

As a configuration of a packing box obtained by assembling a box forming body punched integrally from a blank sheet constituted by a corrugated paper, there is employed a structure in which upper and bottom covers are provided in upper and lower parts of four side surfaces to close an opening portion.

Referring to the packing box, in some cases, a sealing tape (a sealing sticker) having an adhesive surface is put across the upper cover and a front plate in order to guarantee quality or to prevent contents to be accommodated from being changed depending on the contents.

When the sealing tape is peeled, a peeling trace is left, for example, a surface is broken by an adhesive strength of the sealing tape in either or both of the upper cover and the front plate. Therefore, it is possible to confirm that unsealing has been carried out and to suppress an alteration.

There are proposed various techniques related to a packing box on which the sealing tape is to be put.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the invention, a packing box includes a hollow shell, a bottom portion and a cover portion. The hollow shell portion includes a rear portion, a first side portion, a front portion and a second side portion. The bottom portion closes a lower end opening of the shell portion. The cover portion closes an upper end opening of the shell portion. The cover portion has an inserting piece which is turned back along a fold in the cover portion and which is inserted along an inside of the front portion so as to be opposite to the inside of the front portion when the upper end opening is closed with the cover portion. The cover portion and the front portion have a first cut portion and a second cut portion within a range in which a sealing tape having an adhesive surface is to be put across the cover portion and the front portion in a state in which the upper end opening is closed with the cover portion and the inserting piece is inserted along the inside of the front portion. The first cut portion is exposed to a surface side of the cover portion. The second cut portion is exposed to a surface side of the front portion. The first cut portion and the second cut portion have at least two first cuts formed in a peeling direction of the sealing tape and at least one second cut formed in such a direction as to intersect with the peeling direction and being in contact with or intersecting with the first cuts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a development view showing a structure of a box forming body 100A of a packing box 100 according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of packing into the packing box 100 according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a structure of the packing box 100 according to the embodiment;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are explanatory views showing examples of structures of a first cut portion C1 and a second cut portion C2;

FIGS. 5A to 5K are explanatory views showing other examples of the structures of the first cut portion C1 and the second cut portion C2;

FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C are explanatory views showing peeling states brought by the first cut portion C1; and

FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C are explanatory views showing peeling states brought by the second cut portion C2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An embodiment according to an example of the invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same members have the same reference numerals, and repetitive description will be omitted. Since the description will be given to the best mode for carrying out the invention, the invention is not restricted to the mode.

A packing box 100 according to the embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

First of all, FIG. 1 is a development view showing a box forming body 100A of the packing box 100 according to the embodiment as seen from a surface side, and the box forming body 100A is formed by integrally punching or cutting out a corrugated paper.

As shown in FIG. 1, the box forming body 100A includes a shell portion 110 taking a shape of a prismatic cylinder and having a rear portion 101, a first side portion 102, a front portion 103 and a second side portion 104, bottom portions 101 a and 103 a for closing a lower end opening of the shell portion 110, and a cover portion 105 for closing an upper end opening of the shell portion 110.

In the embodiment, a pasting flap portion 101 b is provided on a left end side of the rear portion 101.

Moreover, the first side portion 102 and the second side portion 104 include flap portions 102 a, 102 b, 104 a and 104 b on lower and upper end sides.

Furthermore, the cover portion 105 has an inserting piece 105 a. The inserting piece 105 a is turned back along a fold 106 and is inserted along an inside of the opposed front portion 103 so as to be opposite to the inside of the front portion 103 when the upper end opening is closed with the cover portion 105 in an assembling state of the box forming body 100A.

Moreover, a notch portion 107 is formed on an upper end of the front portion 103. The notch portion 107 causes a finger of an operator to touch a part of the inserting piece 105 a when unsealing the cover portion 105 in a state in which the upper end opening is closed with the cover portion 105 and the inserting piece 105 a is inserted along the inside of the front portion 103.

The cover portion 105 and the front portion 103 have a first cut portion C1 and a second cut portion C2 exposed to respective surface sides within a range in which a sealing tape T (see FIG. 3) having an adhesive surface is put across the cover portion 105 and the front portion 103 in a state in which the upper end opening is closed with the cover portion 105 and the inserting piece 105 a is inserted along the inside of the front portion 103.

The first cut portion C1 and the second cut portion C2 have at least two first cuts 200 and at least two first cuts 300 in a peeling direction for the sealing tape T (for example, an upward direction A or a downward direction B shown in FIG. 3) (see FIGS. 4A and 4B) and at least one second cut 201 and at least one second cut 301 which are formed in such a direction as to intersect with the peeling direction (the A or B) and come in contact with or intersect with the first cuts 200 and 300 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B).

A specific example of structures of the first cut portion C1 and the second cut portion C2 will be described below.

Brief description will be given to a way of assembling the packing box 100 through the box forming body 100A.

First of all, the rear portion 101, the first side portion 102, the front portion 103, the second side portion 104, the bottom portions 101 a and 103 a, the cover portion 105, the pasting flap portion 101 b, and the flap portions 102 a, 102 b, 104 a and 104 b are turned back along folds 150, 151, 152, 153, 154 and 155 respectively, and a surface side of the pasting flap portion 101 b and a back side of the second side portion 104 are bonded to each other with an adhesive so that a box body is formed.

Moreover, the bottom portions 101 a and 103 a are combined to form a bottom.

Subsequently, contents are accommodated in the packing box 100 as shown in FIG. 2.

In an example shown in FIG. 2, a toner cartridge 500 to be used for a printer, an instruction manual 501 and a CD-ROM 502 recording a device driver are stored in the packing box 100, which is not particularly restricted.

Next, the inserting piece 105 a is turned back along the fold 106 to close the upper end opening with the cover portion 105, and furthermore, the inserting piece 105 a is inserted along the inside of the front portion 103 to carry out a closure.

As shown in FIG. 3, then, the sealing tape T having the adhesive surface is put across the cover portion 105 and the front portion 103 to cover the first cut portion C1, the second cut portion C2 and the notch portion 107.

Consequently, there is confirmed a state in which the sealing tape T is not peeled. As a result, it is confirmed that the contents (for example, the toner cartridge 500) are not changed.

With reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, description will be given to a specific example of the structures of the first cut portion C1 and the second cut portion C2 according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4A shows an example of the structure of the first cut portion C1 formed on the cover portion 105.

The first cut portion C1 has two first cuts 200 a and 200 b formed in the peeling direction for the sealing tape T (the upward direction A or the downward direction B) and the single second cut 201 which is formed in such a direction as to intersect with the peeling direction (the upward direction A or the downward direction B) and comes in contact with the first cuts 200 a and 200 b.

It is preferable to form the second cut 201 of the first cut portion C1 along the fold 106 of the cover portion 105 (see FIG. 1).

Consequently, in the case in which the sealing tape T is peeled in the downward direction B, particularly, the surface of the cover portion 105 is peeled more easily by the adhesive surface of the sealing tape T along the first cuts 200 a and 200 b with the second cut 201 of the first cut portion C1 set to be a starting point. Thus, a peeling trace can easily be left.

Also in the case in which the sealing tape T is peeled in the downward direction B, the surface is easily peeled with the second cut 201 of the first cut portion C1 set to be the starting point. Thus, the peeling trace can easily be left.

FIG. 4B shows an example of the structure of the second cut portion C2 formed on the front portion 103.

The second cut portion C2 has two first cuts 300 a and 300 b formed in the peeling direction for the sealing tape T (the upward direction A or the downward direction B) and the single second cut 301 which is formed in such a direction as to intersect with the peeling direction (the upward direction A or the downward direction B) and comes in contact with the first cuts 300 a and 300 b so as to be interposed therebetween.

In the case in which the sealing tape T is peeled in the upward direction A or the downward direction B, consequently, the surface of the cover portion 105 is peeled more easily by the adhesive surface of the sealing tape T along the first cuts 300 a and 300 b with the second cut 301 of the first cut portion C2 set to be a starting point. Thus, the peeling trace can easily be left.

It is preferable that the second cut portion C2 should be formed around the notch portion 107 and the sealing tape T should be put across the cover portion 105 and the front portion 103 to cover the first cut portion C1, the second cut portion C2 and the notch portion 107.

Even if the adhesiveness of the sealing tape T is poorer as compared with the case in which the notch portion 107 is not provided, consequently, the peeling trace can easily be left by the presence of the first cut portion C1 and the second cut portion C2.

Moreover, the second cut portion C2 may be formed in a position shifted from an extension of a position in which the first cut portion C1 is formed in the cover portion 105 in a state in which the upper end opening is closed with the cover portion 105 and the inserting piece 105 a is inserted along the inside of the front portion 103. In other words, along a direction of the fold 106 in the cover portion 105, a position where the second cut portion C2 is projected on to the fold is different from a position in which the first cut portion C1 is projected on to the fold.

Consequently, the surface of the cover portion 105 or the front portion 103 can be peeled more easily by the adhesive surface of the sealing tape T. Thus, the peeling trace can be left more readily.

Moreover, each of the first cut portion C1 and the second cut portion C2 may be formed to penetrate through the cover portion 105 and the front portion 103.

Furthermore, each of the first cut portion C1 and the second cut portion C2 may be formed as a cut terminated in a middle in a vertical direction from the surfaces of the cover portion 105 and the front portion 103.

According to the embodiment, thus, the peeling trace can easily be left so that the contents can effectively be prevented from being changed or altered even if the adhesive strength of the adhesive surface of the sealing tape T is reduced more greatly than that in the conventional art.

By reducing the adhesive strength of the adhesive surface of the sealing tape T more greatly than that in the conventional art, moreover, it is possible to peel the sealing tape T more easily. Thus, a convenience of a user can be enhanced.

The first and second cut portions C1 and C2 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B are only examples of the structure and are not restricted thereto but other examples A to K of the structure can be proposed as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5K.

In other words, the first cut portion C1 and the second cut portion C2 may take any configuration if there is satisfied a condition that they have at least two first cuts 200 and at least two first cuts 300 which are formed in a direction (for example, an almost parallel direction) along the peeling direction for the sealing tape T (the upward direction A or the downward direction B) and at least one second cut 201 and at least one second cut 301 which are formed in such a direction (for example, an almost orthogonal direction) as to intersect with the peeling direction (the upward direction A or the downward direction B) and come in contact with or intersect with the first cuts 200 and 300.

Next, an example of a peeling state brought by the first cut portion C1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6C.

In the example, as shown in FIG. 6A, it is assumed that a user starts to peel the sealing tape T having the adhesive surface from the lower side to the upper side (the A direction) illustrated in FIG. 3 in a state in which the sealing tape T is put across the cover portion 105 and the front portion 103 to cover the first cut portion C1 and the notch portion 107.

When the peeling of the sealing tape T in the A direction is advanced so that the end of the adhesive surface of the sealing tape T reaches the second cut 201 formed along the fold 106 in the first cut portion C1, subsequently, the peeling from the surface of the cover portion 105 is started with the second cut 201 set to be a starting point.

When the peeling of the sealing tape T in the A direction is advanced, furthermore, it proceeds along the first cuts 200 a and 200 b over the surface of the cover portion 105 in the first cut portion C1 so that a peeling trace 600 is formed.

Even if the adhesiveness of the sealing tape T is poorer than that in the case in which the notch portion 107 is not provided, thus, the peeling trace can easily be left because the first cut portion C1 is provided.

In some cases in which the sealing tape T is to be peeled from the upper side to the lower side (the B direction) as illustrated in FIG. 3, the peeling from the surface is started at the first cut portion C1, which is not shown. In some cases in which the adhesion of the sealing tape T to the cover portion 105 is excellent, however, the peeling from the surface is started before the first cut portion C1 is reached.

In addition, it is also possible to form, as the first cut portion C1, the same cut portion as the second cut portion C2.

Moreover, it is also possible to use any of the cutting shapes in FIGS. 5A to 5K as the first cut portion C1.

Next, an example of a peeling state brought by the second cut portion C2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7C.

In the example, as shown in FIG. 7A, it is assumed that the user starts to peel the sealing tape T having the adhesive surface from the lower side to the upper side (the A direction) or from the upper side to the lower side (the B direction) as illustrated in FIG. 3 in a state in which the sealing tape T is put on the front portion 103 to cover the second cut portion C2.

When the peeling of the sealing tape T in the A direction (the B direction) is advanced so that the end of the adhesive surface of the sealing tape T reaches the second cut 301 in the second cut portion C2, subsequently, the peeling from the surface of the front portion 103 is started with the second cut 301 set to be a starting point.

When the peeling of the sealing tape T in the A direction (the B direction) is advanced, furthermore, it proceeds along the second cuts 300 a and 300 b over the surface of the front portion 103 in the second cut portion C2 so that the peeling trace 600 is formed.

Also in the case in which the adhesive strength of the adhesive surface of the sealing tape T is reduced more greatly than that in the conventional art, thus, the peeling trace can easily be left so that the contents can effectively be prevented from being changed or altered.

Although the invention made by the inventor has been specifically described above based on the embodiment, it is to be considered that the embodiment disclosed in the specification is illustrative in all respects and is not restricted to the disclosed technique. In other words, the technical range of the invention should not be construed to be restrictive based on the explanation in the embodiment but should be construed in accordance with only the description of the claims, and equivalents to the technique described in the claims and all changes in the claims are contained.

For example, it is not necessary to always apply a clear varnish or a surface protecting agent for transparent printing to a surface around the first cut portion C1 and the second cut portion C2.

Consequently, the adhesive on the adhesive surface of the sealing tape T can easily penetrate into a part around the first cut portion C1 and the second cut portion C2. Thus, the peeling trace can be left more readily.

The packing box according to the invention can be applied to packing or packaging for a toner cartridge of a printer or a composite machine.

The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents. 

1. A packing box comprising: a hollow shell portion that includes a rear portion, a first side portion, a front portion and a second side portion; a bottom portion that closes a lower end opening of the shell portion; and a cover portion that closes an upper end opening of the shell portion, wherein the cover portion has an inserting piece which is turned back along a fold in the cover portion and which is inserted along an inside of the front portion so as to be opposite to the inside of the front portion when the upper end opening is closed with the cover portion, the cover portion and the front portion have a first cut portion and a second cut portion within a range in which a sealing tape having an adhesive surface is to be put across the cover portion and the front portion in a state in which the upper end opening is closed with the cover portion and the inserting piece is inserted along the inside of the front portion, the first cut portion exposed to a surface side of the cover portion, the second cut portion exposed to a surface side of the front portion, and the first cut portion and the second cut portion have at least two first cuts formed in a peeling direction of the sealing tape and at least one second cut formed in such a direction as to intersect with the peeling direction and being in contact with or intersecting with the first cuts.
 2. The packing box according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the front portion has a notch portion formed thereon, the notch portion causing a finger to touch a part of the inserting piece when the cover portion is unsealed from a state in which the upper end opening is closed with the cover portion and the inserting piece is inserted along the inside of the front portion, the second cut portion is formed around the notch portion, and the sealing tape is to be put across the cover portion and the front portion so as to cover the first cut portion, the second cut portion and the notch portion.
 3. The packing box according to claim 1, wherein the second cut portion is formed in a position shifted from an extension of a position in which the first cut portion is formed in the cover portion in a state in which the upper end opening is closed with the cover portion and the inserting piece is inserted along the inside of the front portion.
 4. The packing box according to claim 1, wherein, along a direction of the fold in the cover portion, a position where the second cut portion is projected on to the fold is different from a position where the first cut portion is projected on to the fold.
 5. The packing box according to claim 1, wherein the first cut portion and the second cut portion are formed to penetrate through the cover portion and the front portion, respectively.
 6. The packing box according to claim 1, wherein the second cut of the first cut portion is formed along the fold of the cover portion.
 7. The packing box according to claim 1, wherein a surface protecting agent is not applied to a surface around the first cut portion and the second cut portion. 